Telecom Trends in Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel and bmobile in the 5G Race

Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island nation in the southern Caribbean, known for its vibrant Carnival celebrations and rich musical heritage, including calypso, soca, and the steelpan. Trinidad, the larger island, is an industrial hub with significant oil and gas resources, while Tobago is famed for its stunning beaches, coral reefs, and lush rainforests. The country’s diverse cultural tapestry reflects influences from African, Indian, European, and indigenous peoples, and its official language is English.

Trinidad and Tobago, boasts a competitive telecommunications market. Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 2.02 million cellular mobile connections in Trinidad and Tobago at the start of 2024. However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Trinidad and Tobago were equivalent to 131.6 percent of the total population in January 2024.The number of mobile connections in Trinidad and Tobago increased by 24 thousand (+1.2 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

The country’s mobile landscape is dominated by two main operators: Digicel and bmobile, both offering extensive services to meet the needs of consumers and businesses. 

Digicel entered the Trinidad and Tobago market in 2006 and quickly gained popularity due to competitive pricing and aggressive marketing. It is part of the broader Digicel Group, which operates in several Caribbean, Central American, and Pacific countries.

Digicel provides widespread 4G LTE coverage across Trinidad and Tobago. The company invests heavily in network infrastructure to ensure consistent service, even in rural and underserved areas. However, like any network, coverage in extremely remote areas can sometimes be spotty.

In July 2018 4G/LTE was launched on the 1900 MHz band (B2). The 2100/1700 MHz band (B4) and the 700 MHz band (B28) are also used for LTE. They used B4 to launch LTE-A using Carrier Aggregation with the 1900 MHz band (B2) in November 2019 and B28 to launch 3CA in October 2020. 3CA and LTE CA with band 28 was stopped in March 2021 due to QoS issues. Only 2CA with band 2 and band 4 remains active. 256 QAM and uplink carrier aggregation (UL-CA) is also active on the network. Coverage is also available Nationwide. Check out their coverage map. The company has won the 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Speedtest award for the fastest mobile network in Trinidad and Tobago and the 2020 Speedtest award for best mobile coverage.

Digicel's 5G network is available in several locations in Trinidad and Tobago, including Marabella, Debe, San Fernando, and Peñal. 

As of recent estimates, Digicel holds a significant portion of the market, often competing neck-and-neck with bmobile. The company’s focus on customer experience and promotions has helped it maintain a strong foothold in the mobile sector.

Digicel had announced it would decommission its 2G network at the end of 2024. 

Bmobile is the brand of Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), the state-owned telecom provider. As the older of the two major operators, bmobile has long been a staple in the country’s telecommunications industry.

4G/LTE has only started in 2016 on 1900 MHz (band 2). bmobile also rolled out LTE using 700 MHz (band 28) in October 2020 and 1700 MHz (band 4) in November 2022. 3 carrier aggregation (3CA), 4x4 MIMO and 256 QAM is active on the network. TSTT previously launched a data device-only TD-LTE 2500 MHz (Band 41) network in 2014 called Blink, which it has expanded to over 400 locations, but requires a contract. This service has since been upgraded to LTE-A using Carrier Aggregation and 8x8 MIMO. Massive-MIMO is also used in select areas.

Bmobile maintains a competitive market share, often rivaling Digicel. Its status as a state-backed provider lends it a level of trust and reliability among many consumers, especially in enterprise and government sectors.

Bmobile has been proactive in 5G trials and demonstrations, showcasing its potential to revolutionize connectivity in Trinidad and Tobago. The company has partnered with international technology firms to lay the groundwork for a future 5G rollout. However, like Digicel, widespread availability of 5G is still pending.

Over the last few years, TSTT has also invested significantly in WTTX, which is their fixed wireless network and is 5G ready

The arrival of 5G in Trinidad and Tobago holds promise for enhanced mobile experiences, including faster speeds, lower latency, and support for smart technologies. Both Digicel and bmobile have expressed commitment to leading the 5G revolution, but challenges such as infrastructure costs, spectrum allocation, and public awareness remain hurdles to overcome.

Trinidad and Tobago’s mobile operators, Digicel and bmobile, continue to play pivotal roles in shaping the nation’s telecommunications landscape. With competitive offerings and ongoing investments in technology, they are well-positioned to meet growing consumer demands. 

China Mobile's Fine-Granularity Segmentation Solution for 5G Network

At the 41st GTI Workshop, held from November 24-26 in Nanning, Guangxi, industry leaders gathered to discuss emerging trends and challenges in the telecom sector. Among the standout contributions was China Mobile’s presentation on its innovative "Built-in Micro-Segmentation Plus" solution for fine-granularity segmentation in 5G networks.

Jie Ma, Project Manager at China Mobile, outlined how this approach addresses escalating security challenges in increasingly decoupled and virtualized telecom environments. The evolution from 2G to 5G has seen continuous security advancements, including user authentication, signalling encryption, and network equipment security assurances. Yet, 5G's service-based architecture introduces new risks due to decoupled hardware, software, and virtualization layers, leaving networks vulnerable to lateral movement attacks.

China Mobile highlighted how the traditional security measures, such as firewalls and SDN gateways, provide perimeter protection but fail to address internal threats within a security domain. The decoupling of hardware, virtualization, and services in 5G—and even more in future 6G networks—exponentially increases the internal attack surface.

To mitigate these risks, China Mobile proposed the "Built-in Micro-Segmentation Plus" solution, which:

• Monitors and Segments Internal Traffic: Enables segmentation at virtual machine (VM), container, and service levels, isolating unauthorized traffic and preventing lateral attacks.
• Real-Time Attack Awareness: Integrates advanced traffic visualization and monitoring capabilities, identifying 15 types of potential attacks.
• Policy-Driven Security: Uses a central management centre to define and enforce granular security policies across the network.
• Enhanced Reliability: Incorporates features like hot backup, disaster recovery, and automated failure detection for uninterrupted service.

This innovative approach enables fine-granularity segmentation that extends security beyond the domain perimeter into the internal network fabric, addressing gaps left by traditional solutions.

In 2023, China Mobile successfully piloted the solution, validating capabilities like asset management, security policy management, and critical file tampering detection. The company plans to expand deployment across 200,000 virtual machines in its 5G core network by the end of 2024, aiming to set a benchmark in securing next-generation telecom infrastructure.

The presentation from China Mobile is embedded below and the slides can be downloaded from here:

China Mobile’s "Built-in Micro-Segmentation Plus" exemplifies how operators can proactively tackle the security challenges posed by 5G and beyond. By integrating advanced segmentation and attack awareness capabilities, the proposal strengthens the telecom ecosystem’s resilience against evolving threats.

As the telecom industry moves forward, this solution not only highlights the importance of innovative security strategies but also underscores the collaborative efforts needed to secure the digital future.

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Kuwait's Telecom Triumph: A Competitive Race to the 5G Frontier

Kuwait boasts a well-developed telecom infrastructure, particularly in mobile networks and services. The telecom sector plays a vital role in the country's economy, and its significance is expected to grow in the coming years as Kuwait strategically shifts from an oil and gas-dependent economy to one centred on knowledge, ICT, and related services.

Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 7.89 million cellular mobile connections in Kuwait at the start of 2024. However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Kuwait were equivalent to 182.2 percent of the total population in January 2024. The number of mobile connections in Kuwait increased by 279 thousand (+3.7 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

Kuwait has three mobile operators: Ooredoo, Zain and STC. The top two mobile operators, Ooredoo and Zain , accounted for 67.5% share of overall mobile subscriptions in 2023.

In Opensignal's latest analysis of Kuwait’s mobile network experience, Zain has emerged as the leading operator, winning 11 out of 13 awards this time — either jointly or outright. Zain claims outright victory in five categories, including Consistent Quality, Reliability Experience, 5G Download Speed and 5G Video Experience, while Ooredoo continues to lead outright in overall download and upload speeds, while sharing the top spot with Zain in four award categories, including Availability — the proportion of time users spend connected to mobile broadband services — for which all three operators are closely matched.

Ooredoo Kuwait, formerly Wataniya, emerged as the second mobile operator in the country, introducing competition and driving innovation within the sector. Ooredoo provides comprehensive nationwide coverage, with a particularly strong presence in urban areas. The company has invested heavily in its 4G LTE network and is aggressively expanding its 5G infrastructure. They are working with Huawei to move toward the ‘5.5G’, or 5G-Advanced, era by upgrading their core networks across key markets.

Ooredoo is known for its competitive data plans and generally good network quality. Users often praise their data speeds, particularly in urban centres, and their commitment to providing value for money. Ooredoo offers a diverse range of services designed to meet the evolving needs of its customers. 

Zain, originally known as MTC, is a trailblazer in mobile telecommunications in Kuwait and has grown into a leading regional operator with a presence across the Middle East and Africa.

Zain provides comprehensive nationwide coverage, reaching even the most remote areas of Kuwait. The company is a leader in network technology, offering extensive 4G LTE services and rapidly advancing its 5G infrastructure. Renowned for its superior network quality, Zain consistently earns praise for its fast data speeds, clear call quality, and minimal downtime.

Zain Kuwait began deploying 5G networks in 2018. After two years of development, 5G services have entered a phase of rapid growth. The user base continues to expand significantly, with a steady increase in the proportion of 5G traffic. This growth has driven positive revenue and profit gains for the operator.

Zain Kuwait has achieved a 5G subscriber penetration rate of 23%, with the average data usage (DOU) of its 5G users being five times higher than that of its 4G users.

Zain was the first operator to commercialize 5G networks in Kuwait. Zain provided the most extensive 5G coverage and best services owing to its focus on network construction. Zain has reached 100 percent coverage within six months of the commercial launch.

STC Kuwait, formerly Viva, entered the market as the third mobile operator, further intensifying competition and providing consumers with more choices. STC has been rapidly expanding its network, achieving nationwide coverage in a relatively short time. The company has been focusing on deploying 4G LTE and is actively rolling out its 5G network.

The mobile market in Kuwait is fiercely competitive, with Zain, Ooredoo, and STC actively competing for customer loyalty. This competitive landscape benefits consumers, as operators are compelled to offer appealing data plans, innovative services, and ongoing improvements to network quality and coverage. The recent introduction of 5G has heightened the rivalry, with each provider aiming to deliver the fastest speeds and the most advanced mobile experience.

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